3 reasons why Hurricane Florence is especially dangerous

MYRTLE BEACH — Even for a major hurricane, Florence is a beast like no other.

A perfect storm of unfortunate circumstances mean Florence could deal a devastating blow to the Southeast. Here’s why this hurricane is especially dangerous:

1. Its brute force

Florence catapulted from a Category 2 to a Category 4 hurricane in less than two hours. Even scarier: It’s expected to gain even more strength as it nears the Carolinas.

A man helps board up Aussie Island surf shop on September 11, 2018 in Wrightsville, North Carolina in anticipation of Hurricane Florence’s high storm surge. – More than a million people were under evacuation orders in the eastern United States Tuesday, where powerful Hurricane Florence threatened catastrophic damage to a region popular with vacationers and home to crucial government institutions. (Photo by Logan CYRUS / AFP) (Photo credit should read LOGAN CYRUS/AFP/Getty Images)

“This storm is going to get stronger before it makes landfall,” CNN meteorologist Chad Myers said.

As of Tuesday morning, the tropical cyclone was hurling 130-mph winds. By the time it strikes the US, it could be on the verge of a Category 5 hurricane — the most intense category, meaning a hurricane’s winds have reached 157 mph.